1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to conductive coils for use in inductors, transformers and other electrical or electronic devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Coils may be used as circuit elements in a wide variety of electrical and electronic devices, and are used extensively as windings for inductor/transformers. Conventional multi-turn and thick single turn coils consist of multiple pieces of conductive material soldered together in series or in parallel. Each piece of conductive material requires a solder joint to be electrically connected into a continuous conductive path. Circuit elements with solder joints require expensive and time consuming soldering steps that significantly increase manufacturing costs. In addition, a current passing through a solder joint encounters significantly more electrical resistance at the solder-substrate interface than a jointless conductive path. As electronic devices are reduced in size, the solder joints become increasingly difficult to bond, and each solder joint along a conductive path becomes a potential source of defects. These defects may ultimately cause failure of the electronic device. Even a solder joint that is defect-free during production can become a likely candidate for failure once the electronic device is exposed to moisture, vibration and temperature extremes.